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Thuringian lead crystal for the sheikhs

Jana Wochnik-Sachtleben / sriDecember 23, 2014

Palaces in Oman and Dubai embellish their tables with glasses, bowls and jugs made of lead crystal, which often comes from Germany's Thuringia region. DW looks at a success story from the eastern town of Arnstadt.

https://p.dw.com/p/1E8un
Bleikristallgläser
Image: DW/J. Wochnik

Master engraver Thomas Holinski raises a glass and puts it into an engraving machine with care, giving it his full attention. Each movement follows the same swing. One mistake and the glass will become, at best, second choice. But quality is of the essence.

The Zabeel palace in Dubai has ordered more than 300 glasses, carafes and bowls; with fine polish and gold decor. Sheikh Mohammed has ordered goods from the company Arnstadt Kristall for the first time, but the firm's employees are experienced in dealing with royal houses and palaces.

Exclusive glasses

Many royal families from Oman to Malaysia have already ordered glasses, cups and vases from the family-owned company. And it is always something special, says the firm's managing director Christian Heller. "Almost always, the glasses are used only once for a special occasion such as a wedding or a celebration.And depending on the importance of the guest, the VIP table is divided into high and low," he adds.

Bleikristall beim Gravieren
Lead crystal glasses from Arnstadt are exported to more than 50 countriesImage: DW/J. Wochnik

The glasses, which are delivered from Arnstadt to the Middle East, are adapted to the tables and their collections. "There are often very exclusive and expensive lead crystal glasses for the VIP guests," Heller underlines.

Intricate heavyweights

The lead crystal glasses from the eastern German town of Arnstadt are exported to more than 50 countries worldwide. Molded in glassworks, they are smoothed, engraved and polished in this town. The processing is a delicate and strenuous task, and many of the dishes and vases made from the strong lead crystal weigh several kilograms.

A status symbol

Bulky heavy colored glass, with a lot of polish. Arnstadt Kristall serves the tastes of affluent customers in the Middle East, Asia and Russian-speaking countries, among other regions. The expensive lead crystal is viewed as a status symbol, according to Heller. Around 85 percent of the firm's revenue is generated through exports, and therefore international crises such as the current fallout between the West and Russia are having a noticeable impact on the company's business.

"Business was good in the first half of the year, but we are now engaged in difficult talks with our Russian customers. With the decline of the ruble, everything has become extremely expensive and our sales have deteriorated," he stressed. Heller is worried that this trend will continue throughout 2015. The Russian market accounts for around 15 percent of the firm's revenue.

From mass production to high-end

But Heller and his team have already overcome very different hurdles. His great-grandfather founded the company in 1947. In the 1970s, it was nationalized in the former East Germany. Even in those times, the crystal was exported, but in large quantities and at low prices. German reunification changed that. In 1996, Heller's family bought back the company and developed a new concept.

Bleikristall
Image: DW/J. Wochnik

"We knew that we could rely on the enormous skill of our employees, but it was also clear that with the new currency, we could no longer sell as much and at the prices the company had been selling for before," Heller said. He therefore shifted the company's focus to luxury products and targeted customers in the Middle East, Asia and the former Soviet countries. Step by step, Arnstadt Kristall made its way into the premium segment.

The company is set to start an exclusive production as it awaits an order for 6,000 glasses. A wedding is soon to be celebrated in Dubai's Zabeel palace, and the crystal from Thuringia may again find a place on the tables.